


His Heart was a Stone

by ForgottenAngerCourter



Series: Roses [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Badass Perona, F/M, Gen, Humor, Mihawk is Oblivious, Misunderstandings, Perona is Frustrated, Post-Sabaody Archipelago, Pre-Relationship, Protective Mihawk, Shanks is Amused
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-10-15 21:51:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10558272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForgottenAngerCourter/pseuds/ForgottenAngerCourter
Summary: “Or, maybe you’d rather have some alone time after your long trip, hmm?”Mihawk knew that Perona was not trying to sound suggestive- she was only trying to look out for him, because she knew that sometimes he needed his space. But by the wolf whistles going off behind him, Mihawk knew that she had just fanned the flames of Shanks' newest delusion.





	

When Perona’s Hollow first noticed the ship approaching the island, it was quick to fly towards it to investigate. Perona had Hollows guarding every shore of the island so that she could be made aware of trespassers, and also so that she could know when Mihawk was home.

But she was still incredibly surprised when her mind was bombarded with the image of Red Haired Shanks' pirate flag, and her Hollow confirmed its authenticity by finding the one armed man himself.

Perona gave a small frown as she looked down at the chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven, “Sheesh.” She tore off her oven mitt, and hurried out of the kitchen, “Why can’t this island ever have any cute visitors?”

The cookies were almost done, and so Perona hurried towards the innermost part of the castle. The castle itself was huge with a labyrinth of corridors, and multiple hallways and rooms that all looked the same. Two years and her ability to pass through walls made memorizing the gargantuan home relatively easy, and over these past two years she had made several modifications of her own. Perona stopped in a random hallway and opened a door to an ordinary guest room that was indistinguishable from the rest. She shut the door behind her, and hurried towards the supposed ‘closet’ in the room. When she opened the innocent looking door, it revealed itself to be a safe room, hidden, and designed to keep her body safe. Steel encased walls, a comfy bed, and a locking system that would put Impel Down to shame- it had taken her months to install the thing with Mihawk and Zoro’s help.

After locking the door behind her, Perona found herself hesitating when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her safe room was designed for all the last minute emergencies you could think of. From bad hair, to running makeup- she even had a few of her more extravagant dresses here, just in case she needed to make an impression on an unexpected guest.

Perona leaned forward to check her makeup and was satisfied with her flawless application of eyeliner- and while purple lipstick wasn’t her usual look, she was satisfied with it. Her hair was curled beautifully, and was still in decent condition because she had tied it back while she had been baking. It was her outfit however, that made her hesitate.

Luckily her Hollow had caught sight of the ship early enough for her to change if she so wished, and the cookies could stand to wait a moment. She had not been expecting company today other than Mihawk, and so she had not bothered to put on anything other than a pair of comfy sleeping shorts and a pink tank top.

Perona hurried over to her clothing chest, and dug into it savagely because today wasn't just any day- today, she was going to be meeting with a Yonko. Tossing dress after dress aside, Perona felt a frustrated blush bloom across her face. She couldn’t make up her mind on just what kind of impression she wanted to make; while she usually tried to portray herself as the proud Ghost Queen of Karaigana Island, Persona found herself reluctant to do so now.

She usually scared the living hell out of anyone who dared trespass on their home (unless Mihawk was in the mood to stop her), but this particular trespasser happened to be an acquaintance of Mihawk’s. Red Haired Shanks was someone who Mihawk respected, and Perona wanted to make a good first impression. Though, she didn't want to seem as if she was trying too hard to impress him, or too hard to be intimidating, or too casual- damn it she was wasting time!

Biting her lip gently, Perona eyed one of her simpler outfits. It was a new purchase she had made on Sabaody, and it was the perfect mixture of elegant and casual. Perona privately thought that it made her look like a queen. She ran her fingers along the fluff around it’s hem and admired the sheer fabric that made her legs look _divine_. It was a strapless dress with a cross stitched into it with black sequins, and it clung to her breasts and hips before flaring out at the tops of her thighs into a sheer, see-through mesh that was soft and flowed like water. The hem was black and fluffy, and it dragged behind her like a dress befitting royalty. Perona had been planning on surprising Mihawk with it when he came home, because while the dress was elegant, it definitely had an edge of seduction to it.

But then again, what was the harm in a bit of teasing? Those men were the trespassers, and if they just so happened to come into her home and see her wearing something a little suggestive, well, it wouldn't be her fault. And best of all, she knew that she’d definitely leave a _good_ impression.

“Horohorohoro~”

Perona changed as quickly as she could without messing up her hair or makeup, and then took her hair out of its ponytail and adjusted it around her shoulders. After checking over her makeup one last time, Perona laid out of her bed with a content smirk. She breathed out deeply, and slowly stepped out of her body.

Stretching to reacquaint herself with her now incorporeal body, Perona turned and smiled as she tucked her bear closer towards her real body. She then flew out of her safe room, towards the kitchen, only to find that the timer was screaming like a banshee and trying to give her a migraine. After viciously stabbing the stop button with her finger, Perona put on the oven mitt and took out the cookies. Setting the tray on a nearby pot holder, Perona looked at them with a critical eye as she reached for the spatula. They were a bit crispy around the edges, but if she got them off the tray quick enough, they shouldn’t be too badly burned.

Perona gave the cookies a menacing frown as she put them on a plate, and sighed in irritation because there was no way she was going to serve either Red Hair or Mihawk burnt cookies. It would hurt her pride.

And so Perona set to work spooning out a new batch of cookie dough onto the tray, and then absently went over the data her Hollow had gathered while investigating the Yonko’s crew and ship. Noting which crew member used which weapon, and also taking note of each’s individual personality, Perona set the timer and put the tray into the oven. Her Hollow informed her that the ship was lowering anchor as Perona was picking up the plate of burnt cookies. Floating off of the ground, Perona slowly made her way to a nearby window. She couldn’t just phase through the wall with the plate in her hands, and so she opened the window, and made sure the plate safely passed through the opening before flying off to the fields.

The humandrills were there, and some were plowing while others were sparing. The sound of swords clashing and frustrated snarls shouldn't have been so comforting, but Perona found herself relaxing as she gave them a small smile. Despite their crudeness, they could prove themselves to be very cute when they wanted to be.

When one of the farming monkeys saw her, he began screeching with delight. Soon all of their eyes were on her, and then their noses picked up the scent of her freshly baked cookies. The resulting noise was deafening as they stomped and cheered. Perona laughed at their enthusiastic greeting as she floated above them and dropped cookies into their waiting hands. They gobbled up the treats happily, and waved their hands up at her in hopes that she would land and join them in their merriment.

While she laughed at their antics, the Hollow that had been keeping an eye on the Red Hair pirates flew towards her, and enthusiastically began to circle around her body. Perona reached out to pat the ‘Monkey King’ on his nose before lowering herself to hover over the dewed grass. Several monkeys crowded around her for petting and snuggles that she was more then happy to give- in fact, Perona was ecstatic that after two years of forced affection these monkeys now sought cuddles instead of duels with her. Though, she liked to think that they liked her because she was kind to them, and not because she had programmed them that way.

The monkeys smelled like sweat and wild animals and Perona, not for the first time, was immensely grateful that the cloths on her incorporeal body could not get dirty or ruffled unless she allowed it. So she looked and smelled just as perfect as she had when she had first left her room, but despite that, she found herself twirling one of her braids nervously.

And then, all as one, the monkeys that surrounded her tensed. The Monkey King’s eyes took on an animalistic red sheen, and the monkeys that were not already armed swiftly left the area in order to get their weapons. Perona watched them easily fall into an aggressive formation, and smiled when a monkey with an ‘x’ shaped scar across its belly came to stand protectively in front of her. She was particularly fond of this monkey, and had affectionately named him Marimo in honor of the idiot that he had chosen to imitate. With two whole years to study an expert in Santoryu, this monkey was now the second strongest humandrill on the island. Perona couldn’t have been prouder of her cute little monkey.

It was then that she began to hear the boisterous crew that had trespassed on her island in the first place, and Perona took a deep breath in order to mentally prepare herself. She was a little nervous, but Zoro had not been the only one training during these past few years. Yonko or not, Perona was not someone to be trifled with. And with her body safely tucked away, her weaknesses couldn’t be exploited. These pirates would never even know that she had a different body to target, and if they used Haki, it would be too late for them when they realized that it did next to nothing to her or her Hollows.

A few of the monkeys ran towards the noises in order to ambush the pirates, and Perona smiled as she turned to fly back to the castle. The timer would be going off soon, and she refused to have this next batch ruined.

 

A dose of conqueror’s Haki had the attacking humandrills unconscious, and Shanks' crew laughing as they walked passed them.

“No wonder Mihawk’s so uptight- all he has are these monkeys for company!”

“You do know that he’s probably not even home-”

Shanks' uncaring laugh boomed around them, and Benn Beckman sighed deeply at his captain’s carefree attitude. Shanks reached out and curled his arm around his first mate’s shoulders, his grin big and showing too many teeth, “Come on Beeeeeennn, where’s you’re sense of adventure?”

“I left it on the last island, where I was kidnapped by cannibals and had my clothes stolen.”

Shanks burst out laughing and had to hold on to his first mate for support when he collapsed from the memory of Benn’s furious and blushing face. Benn scowled darkly, and pushed the man off of him, “And don’t think I’ve forgotten just who ordered them to do that, ‘Sun God’.”

Shanks' smile became nostalgic and he sighed happily, “Yeah, that’s gotta be one of my favorites. Benn, from now on call me Sun God.”

“Shanks, if you ever bring this up again I am hiding the booze.”

“Ooooh, would you listen to that?” Shanks swiftly moved over to Lucky Roo’s side in order to get away from Benn’s murderous aura, and eagerly pointed to the castle looming against the landscape. “Sounds like someone’s listening to a Tone Dial. Huh, I never took Mihawk for a music lover.” Shanks gave Benn a smug glance, “Looks like someone's home after all.” Benn silently cursed his captain’s luck, and began to follow the man as he sashayed his way towards the castle’s enormous entrance.

Rockstar stared up at the ominous building, and privately thought to himself that if ghosts existed, they would probably be on this island, “Why did Mihawk have to live somewhere so gloomy? This place gives me the creeps.” He shuttered when a passing breeze blew cool air across his neck, and then got into a shouting match with Yasopp who was poking fun at his non-existent fear of ghosts. Rockstar wasn’t afraid of ghosts! After all, they didn’t exist- and so there was nothing to be afraid of!

But if there were such a thing as ghosts, well, it wasn't like you could just punch a ghost. Or shoot it. Or slice it in half- and they were known to get attached to people in order to haunt them… So, so what if Rockstar always had a bag full of salt and a matchbox in his pocket? Salt was a necessary seasoning, and he laughed at his crewmates when he was the only one enjoying a perfectly seasoned meal when they inevitably found themselves on a deserted island. And matches! Totally necessary. And if he had heard that the only way to get rid of a ghost was to salt and burn it’s bones, well, that was just an added benefit.

“Ooooooh, Rockstar’s shaking in his boots!”

“No I’m not!”

Yassop continued to tease the poor man as the crew approached the doors, and when Lucky Roo mischievously poked the man from behind, the whole crew burst out laughing at Rockstar’s girlish shriek as he hid himself behind Benn. Benn hid his face in his hands, and silently hoped that Mihawk was in a pleasant mood.

“Oi! MIHAWK!” Then again, if Mihawk had been in a pleasant mood, it was probably long gone by now, “I’m here to cure you of your boredom!”

Lucky Roo swallowed the last bite of his snack, and tossed the bare meat bone over his shoulder, “I thought we were here to cure you of _your_ boredom captain?”

Shanks waved his hand dismissively before banging harder on the door, “Details, details- MIHAWK! Stop being so antisocial, and let us in!”

Surprisingly enough, the door opened after Shanks finished slamming his fist into it. Everyone unconsciously leaned forward in order to see Mihawk’s reaction, and Rockstar went pale when he realized that there was no one there.

“C-c-captain? D-did you b-b-break the door?”

Shanks slowly shook his head, and Rockstar let out a small despairing noise. “I don’t think so at least…”

They all slowly entered the castle, and Rockstar jumped when the doors slammed shut behind them. “Horohorohoro~”

The feminine laugh had everyone tensing, and then, before Rockstar could recover his composure- a small monster came out of the wall he was standing beside. It resembled a doll, and then it let out a bone curdling laugh as it stuck out its tongue and flew around his flailing body.

“GHOST!”

Shanks' eyes took in their surroundings as he drew his sword, and a feral grin spread across his lips, “Looks like we’re surrounded boys.”

And it was true. A swarm of those small monsters had come out of the walls beside the doors, and were now circling around them like a swarm of mosquitoes- though they were surprisingly careful not to touch Shanks or his nakama. Lucky Roo reached out to poke one but it quickly moved out of his reach, and it’s strange laugh echoed around them eerily. The whole situation was strange, but Shanks found himself excited because this was not what he had been expecting- and an ambush was always an amazing way to cure boredom. Now Shanks was curious, and Benn wanted to disappear because that look on his captain’s face always foreshadowed horrible things.

“Who’s there?”

“Horohorohoro~ look what I caught in my web~”

One of the floating ‘ghosts’ left the swarm and went to open a nearby door. The sound of bare feet slapping against the tile hit their ears, and then came the sight of black lace. Shanks felt his eyes widen.

The woman was beautiful, there wasn't a doubt in his mind about that, though Shanks eyed her pink hair warily. It reminded him of Big Mom, and while he knew that her hair color wasn't a definite connection to the woman, he vaguely recalled rumors of one of Big Mom’s daughters running away from a marriage proposal.

This woman however, was one that a man wouldn't be opposed to being tied to forever. Even as three ‘ghosts’ hovered protectively around her body, Shanks and his crew were still able to easily see her figure. A slim waist, a perfectly sized bust that was neither too large or too small, and long legs that were teasing their eyes through the sheer fabric of her dress.

Shanks snapped out of his brief admiration, and he found his eyes drawn to the hat on top of her head. And all of a sudden, everything fell into place. The woman's eyes were black, and sparkled like something devious, “This is my first time meeting an Emperor, I’m sorry if my hospitality is a bit lacking.”

Shanks threw back his head and laughed even as he sheathed his sword. His crew eyed the action warily, but did not lower their weapons when their captain did not ask them to. Shanks gave her a wide smile, his face mischievous as he walked toward her in a misleadingly careless manner, “Well now, this is a surprise!”

The woman took a step back when he got too close for her liking, and Shanks respected her boundary when numerous ‘ghosts’ surrounded him, and seemed ready to attack the moment he showed any ill intent.

He continued to eye her hat, and he gave her a horribly unsubtle wink, “And here I thought that Mihawk was wasting away on this island with nothing but baboons for company!” Shanks laughed and the woman’s purple lips twitched into a smirk.

It wasn't hard to piece together the puzzle. The hat on her head-while not the one that Mihawk always wore- was an almost exact replica that had been tailored to fit this woman’s head. A beautiful woman in a seductive dress, who just so happened to be on a ‘haunted’ island known for being the home of a Shichibukai, while also wearing a hat similar to said Shichibukai. And now that he was closer, Shanks could even see a very distinctive cross stitched onto her corset.

_Well now Mihawk, I’m honestly impressed._

Bowing, Shanks gave her a look full of charm, “Turns out that nowadays he’s found someone better to keep him company then little ole me- but I don't blame him. I’d pick you over me any day.”

That earned him another laugh, and several of the floating _things_ that surrounded him stuck out their tongues and began to laugh as well.

“Aren't you the charmer?” The woman crossed her arms under her chest and tilted her hip to the side as she took in the sight of him and his crew, “So I take it that you are trespassing on my home with peaceful intentions?”

Shanks nodded his head with an agreeing smile, and then turned to gesture for his crew to put away their weapons. After they did so, he turned and tried to give her his best innocent expression while conveying an aura of harmlessness. He wasn't sure if he succeeded, but the number of ‘ghosts’ in the hall quickly dwindled until there was only one hovering around each crew member and the three that hadn't left her side. He eyed the creatures curiously, “May I ask what exactly are these things?” He reached out to poke one, and it evaded his fingers as well.

“They are ghosts that I made.” Shanks heard a strangled noise being hastily silenced behind him, and he watched the woman laugh at the sight of what was no doubt Rockstar’s descent into despair. Teasingly she gave the man a serious look, “I am the Ghost Queen of this island, and I command all of the restless spirits that haunt these tainted grounds.” She wiggled her fingers dramatically at Rockstar, whose face was whiter than snow at this point. Yassop had a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing, and Shanks wasn't far behind.

“The war here was a bloody one, and it gave birth to many things, and some of them weren't very nice.” The smile on her face was absolutely evil, “Would you like me to show you true despair Rockstar?”

“SHE KNOWS MY NAME!” Rockstar promptly fell onto his ass, and cowered behind Benn’s leg. Benn hid his exasperated expression in his hand, and Yassop burst out laughing along with Shanks. The woman joined in, and soon they were all a little more breathless and their smiles were a little more genuine.

“As if. I’m a devil fruit user- I ate the Horo-Horo fruit.” The woman turned to look at Shanks with a raised eyebrow, “Is he always so gullible?”

“Only when it comes to the subject of ghosts.” Murmurs of agreement came from the rest of his crew, and the woman let out another chuckle.

Shanks lifted his arm and offered her his hand, “I’m Shanks, captain of this pirate crew and a friend of Mihawk’s.” his smile was bright and honest, “And I hope to learn the name of this mysterious lady my friend has seen fit to keep hidden away~”

The woman smiled and reached out to shake his hand. Shanks noticed a tattoo on her arm, “I’m Perona, Queen of Kuraigana Island. Now enough formalities, I’m sure you guys really just came here to raid Mihawk’s wine cellar.”

“Dahahahaha! What a great suggestion, why don't you show us to that wine cellar and then we’ll start getting to know each other!”

With approving yells going off behind her, Perona led them deeper into the castle and into a large entertaining room with a fireplace and a door hidden behind a bar full of liquor. The Yonko’s crew cheered, and Shanks was behind the counter and pouring everyone a drink before Perona could make it halfway across the room. It was a beautiful room with gothic designs and furniture, and the red wallpaper gleamed under the firelight. It seemed like a place out of a gothic romance novel, and then the group of pirates invaded the room and filled it with boisterous laughter and one or two spilled drinks. Perona walked through the chaos, and sat on a barstool, leaning her head on her hand as she watched Shanks begin mixing drinks like an excited child. He looked like a mad scientist, and when Yassop took a sip of his newest concoction, he looked seconds away from spitting it out.

“What the hell is this?”

Shanks laughed as he began mixing some rum with lime juice, “I have no idea! I think it has some whiskey in it, maybe a bit of vodka- I just dumped a lot of stuff together!” Yassop looked down at his drink in silent horror, and then switched it with the one that Shanks had been about to inhale.

The pirate captain glared at the sniper, “What the hell Yassop! You know better then to mess with my booze! Give it back!”

“I could say the same thing!” Yassop downed the drink in one gulp, and Shanks stared forlornly at the empty glass. Yassop glared at him, and gestured violently to the disgrace of a drink now sitting in Shanks' hand.

“You tried to force that shit on me, now you’re going to drink every last drop of it _captain._ ”

Shanks eventually consented after much heckling from Yassop, and Lucky Roo started to chant “Chug! Chug! Chug!” Everyone else joined in, even Beckman, and Shanks sighed, “Well, booze is booze.” Everyone laughed when he tilted his head back and downed the foul concoction, and then slammed down the empty glass with a grimace on his face, “Holy hell! I suck at bartending!”

Benn proceeded to not so gently shove Shanks out from behind the bar, and then began pouring a decent drink for the grateful Yassop. Shanks slumped against the counter, pouting as he laid his head on his arms. “Horohorohoro~” Shanks glanced over at Perona, who was laughing into her hand. He watched her turn down the drink that Benn had kindly handed to her.

Shanks sat up, a horrified look on his face, “You’re turning down a drink from Benn Beckman?! Are you feeling alright Perona?”

The pink haired woman grinned, “I’ll drink later tonight, don't you worry. Now, why don't I go and get some food from the kitchen, and then we’ll turn this into a real party?” The resulting cheer had Perona laughing as she left the room, a swarm of ghosts following behind her like loyal servants. Shanks watched her leave, and took a sip from the drink Benn had left in front of him.

“What do you think?”

Shanks hummed, “I don't think she means us any harm, and I have to commend her for not letting her guard down.”

Benn gave an agreeing noise, and then moved to find Rockstar some vodka. Shanks watched the door thoughtfully, and finished off his drink with a satisfied hiss, “Another round!”

“Aye!”

When Perona returned, it was with several trays of food floating behind her. She was greeted to the sight of Rockstar hopping around the room like a frog trying to catch the ghost she had assigned to him, and Yasopp shooting a glass they had balanced on the window sill with his arms tied behind his back.

Lucky Roo ran to her, his arms waving excitedly over his head, “Food~”

And with that happy exclamation, the entire crew descended on her trays like starving wolves. Soon each member was scarfing down a meal and laughing as the booze and conversations flowed.

Perona settled herself back on a barstool, and watched them with curious eyes. Rockstar eventually stumbled his way over to her, and then he had his hands on her shoulders, and was leaning in _way_ too close. He peered into her eyes like she was some sort of mysterious thing and it was her fault that he couldn't understand her, “You know, you’re reeaaally pretty.” Rockstar hiccuped, and leaned in even closer. Shanks fell into the seat next to them, and watched the whole interaction while laughing his ass off. He laughed even harder when Rockstar began sniffing and tears formed in his eyes. He looked utterly betrayed, “And you're also a ghost-human- thing. It’s not fair.”

Yassop dragged the somber drunk away as he began waxing horrible poetry on why the world was cruel, and Shanks leaned over to pat Perona comfortingly on the back. His hand went right through her body, and Shanks stared at where his hand had disappeared into her back with wide eyes. “Oooooh, so cool, how-”

“I can make myself intangible, now, I would appreciate it if you and your crew would stop being so… affectionate.” Perona reached behind her, and removed Shank’s hand from her body with a pointedly raised eyebrow. Shanks watched all of this with wide eyes, and then fell off of the barstool because he was laughing so hard, “That is so cool! You must be the ultimate tease!” Shank’s face was turning red, and tears began to pour down his face, “Mihawk probably isn't here because he couldn't take having blue balls anymore! You are like, the ultimate look-but-can't-touch woman! I like it!”

Perona sighed, and Benn refilled his glass with sake when he stood up and started whining because his cup was empty. Soon the crew was bursting out into some sort of sea chanty, and then they lined up and began kicking their legs in tune with the ‘music’.

Perona watched all of this with a long suffering look on her face, and then Shanks was right next to her. It took everything Perona had not to tense at the intense look on his flushed face. “What do you see in the old stiff anyway? You’re young, and pretty, and _funny-_ you shouldn't be wasting away on some forgotten island full of ghosts.” Perona frowned at the man, and for the first time, she noticed the glint of awareness in his eyes. Perona’s answering smile was sharp, “And where exactly should I be then?”

Shanks smiled right back, and leaned into her personal space. His hand reached out to run his fingers down her arm, and Perona was stunned when she realized that he was actually using Haki in order to touch her. Perona’s eyes narrowed at the knowledge, and her Hollows began inching threateningly toward Shanks behind his back. While Perona couldn’t feel pain in this form, nor could she really feel touch, she knew from Mihawk’s observations that this body felt completely normal to those who touched it with Haki. Never had Perona been so thankful for living with two battle crazy idiots- because she now knew all of her strengths and weaknesses in extremely disturbing detail.

“Wherever you want to be.”

Perona stood and pushed Shanks' hand off of her, a frown on her face as she stared down at the still smiling captain, “Don’t push your luck Yonko. You think you’re cute, but you’re not that cute.”

Shanks blinked up at her, his expression startled, and then a genuine smile lit his face and he was laughing again, “Touché my lady- another round! Tell me Perona, have I told you about the last island we went to yet? It was amazing- this tribe you see, they saw me and declared that I was their ‘Sun God’ and-”

“No more booze for you.” Shanks' mouth fell open when Benn snatched his glass right out of his hand.

“But Benn-”

“For a month.”

“WHAT?!”

“I warned you captain.” Shanks looked ready to burst into tears, and Perona nearly floated into the air because she was laughing so hard.

Lucky Roo and Rockstar were soon passed out on the floor and snoring like freight trains. Yasopp stood over their prone bodies and began acting out the time he had shot an admiral with a sea stone bullet. It was actually quite fascinating even if Perona was sure half of the details were made up.

“And there was Kizaru- all confident because he could move at the so called ‘speed of light’, and-” Yasopp began waving around one of his pistols, and though his hands were steady, Perona was quick to put Shanks in between her and the drunk sniper.

She wasn't sure how seastone would affect her in this body, and she wasn't keen on finding out. Perona made a note to herself to ask Mihawk to get his hands on some so that they could experiment with its effects on her incorporeal body, and also on her real one. It was always good to be prepared, because you never knew when you might meet a sniper with actual _seastone_ _bullets_.

Perona’s body twitched, and though the action was very small, everyone in the room focused on her so quickly that it was off putting. But Perona didn't care at the moment, because she was floating off of the ground with a huge smile on her face. Even though she knew that revealing her ability to fly was a stupid thing to do, she had lost her concentration and her body was floating like it naturally should have been doing. She knew their eyes were assessing this new ability, and she decided then that there was no point in trying to hide her abilities anymore because- “Mihawk’s home!”

Before anyone could react to the news, Perona was up and flying through the door- leaving behind a stunned Pirate crew. They stared at the door uncomprehendingly for several seconds, and then Benn whistled, “That is a useful devil fruit.”

Shanks nodded in agreement, “I have the feeling that she was expecting us long before we even landed. Those ghosts of hers are the perfect surveillance system.”

“And I’m sure they have offensive capabilities, even if we haven't seen them yet.”

Yasopp listened to them discuss Perona’s potential combat abilities, and let out a sigh as he kicked Lucky Roo and Rockstar awake, “Will you two shut your yaps? Whether or not this Perona is strong or not is irrelevant, because I know neither of you are planning on fighting her. Mihawk's on the island now, so why don't we go and say hi like we planned on doing in the first place?” Yasopp’s face was full of mischief when he began walking towards the door Perona had left through, “And besides, I thought you were simply _dying_ for the opportunity to tease Mihawk within an inch of his life?”

Shanks' smile became quite sharklike, and it was a truly terrifying thing to behold. “ **Well then, let's go and say hello~** ”

 

Perona’s Hollows danced around Mihawk as he stood from his boat, and their smiling faces and innocent laughter had his shoulders relaxing.

“Horohorohoro~”

That strange echoing laugh had become quite familiar to him, and it had been weeks since he had last heard it. One of the Hollows split away from the dance and gestured for him to make his way toward the castle.

Mihawk followed without needing much prompting, though his eyes narrowed when they caught sight of the humandrills. Most were slowly getting up though a few of were still passed out from what was obviously an attack of conquerors Haki. A quick glance to the shoreline revealed a ship docked where a ship should not have been, and when he saw the pirate flag, he felt his eye twitch violently. As if the universe felt the need to enforce just how horrible his evening was going to be, the doors of his castle slammed open and out walked a red-haired man with a shit eating grin, “Heellllllooooo MIHAWK!”

“What have I done to deserve this?”

An obnoxious laugh echoed around him, and Mihawk watched as Red Haired Shanks began stalking toward him with a predatory look on his face, “ _Sooooo_ , Mihawk…”

The swordsman closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “What are you doing here Shanks?” It was a useless question to ask, because in all probability he had simply been bored.

“I came here to kill some time but that's not the point- the _point_ is that you have been holding out on me dear friend.” Mihawk sweatdropped when Shanks wound his arm around his shoulders, his eyes glowing in their savage delight. Shanks' smile was reminiscent of a sadistic monster when he began herding Mihawk toward the castle. The Hollows moved to hover aggressively around Shanks, though they did not move to intervene. Mihawk admitted silently to himself that he was a bit disappointed, because seeing the boisterously annoying Shanks lamenting his existence would have been incredibly entertaining, “And what exactly, have I been holding out on?”

“Neh neh,” Shanks elbowed him in the side, the creepy smile still on his face, “You don’t have to keep pretending you know- you’re among friends~”

Mihawk let out an exasperated sigh, “Shanks, I honestly have no idea-”

“Mihawk! Welcome home!”

Shank’s grin somehow became even more creepy, because he was close enough to see the slight widening of Mihawk's eyes when they caught sight of Perona. She waved down at them eagerly as she hurried down the stairs, one of her hands holding the hem of her dress up in order to enable her movements. It gave them a marvelous view of her legs, and Shanks let out a dramatic sigh while slapping Mihawk on the back, “Gotta say, I envy you man. Must be nice, to come home to such a lovely view.”

“Oi-”

“I’ve gotta say, I approve 100 percent! Not only is she gorges, but she can cook too!”

“Oi-”

“And she also seems pretty strong! She’s, like, a ghost-human hybrid thing! Damn, how did you get so lucky- and look at those _legs_!”

“OI-!”

Perona reached the last step on the stairs, and Shanks squeezed Mihawk’s shoulder before moving away with one last comment, “She’s a keeper man, hold on to her- you’ll never find another girl like that, who won't mind living on this creepy ass island. Love her, appreciate her, and treat her well.” Shank’s gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up, and went to stand next to his crew, who were hovering in a nearby doorway.

“You can do it!” They mock whispered, and while Mihawk might have seemed composed to the untrained eye- Shanks had been his rival long enough to see the subtle annoyance on his face. In fact, Mihawk’s presence was becoming quite oppressing as a subtle sign that he was contemplating bodily harm. Mihawk opened his mouth to correct Shanks and the wrong conclusions he had obviously drawn, but before he could say anything, Perona was in front of him.

“Horohorohoro. I was only gone for two weeks Mihawk- Sheesh. I came back expecting a cake, maybe some streamers, or at least a congratulations on keeping the bonehead alive- but all I find is this note.” Perona pouted up at him, her cheeks puffing out as she waved a piece of paper in front of his face. Mihawk heard someone say “So cute~” behind him, and his hand twitched toward the knife around his neck.

“‘I’m going on a journey to kill time, I’ll be back around the end of March.’ Seriously?!”

“Oooooh, somebody messed up.”

Mihawk sent a glare behind him, and Shanks immediately stopped his teasing. Perona sighed dramatically, and held her hands up as if she just didn't know what to do with him anymore, “Whatever. You’re friends showed up earlier today and I figured you’d be angry if I didn't at least _try_ to show them some hospitality, so I did my best. You should be proud of me~” Mihawk suddenly felt incredibly nervous, because that sickly sweet voice was always a precursor to news he didn’t want to hear. Shanks eagerly watched as an evil look came across the beautiful woman’s face, “I showed them to the entertainment room-”

Mihawk paled, and Perona’s expression was terrifying, “And your wine cellar! I even made sure to break out the good wine, because you should never be skimpy with guests you know~”

Mihawk felt a headache beginning to pulse around his temples, and he silently wondered why he had missed this chaos for even a second. But he had indeed missed this. Maybe not Red Hair in particular, but this evil twisted human being floating in front of him as she laughed demonically- yes. He had missed her, and Zoro as well. The days after they had left, had been incredibly enlightening to say the least.

Where once he had welcomed the silence that this island provided- the solitude away from all of the challengers that found him no matter where he went, nowadays Mihawk had discovered that he had become quite spoiled. Because after Perona and Zoro left, Mihawk realized that he had nothing to look forward to later in the day. When he entered the dining room or the kitchen he didn't have to dodge random attacks from Negative Hollows, nor did he get to hear Perona laugh or Zoro curse.

It had been incredibly quiet, and Mihawk had been preparing his boat to set sail before the week was even up. Yes he knew that Perona would return, if only because she had left her body behind- but that was a cold comfort. Would she stay, now that it would only be him and her? Would the table feel awkward without Zoro there to act as a buffer? Would she eventually get tired of his admittedly boring lifestyle, and leave? These questions plagued his mind, and he had found himself incredibly irritated because he shouldn't have gotten so attached in the first place.

He had not meant for it to happen, but happened it had, and now he was unsure of how to deal with it. He had known that his time with Zoro was temporary, and he had assumed that the same could be said for Perona- but now he was used to sparring against their insane and effective combat styles. He was used to Perona demanding that they take breaks and then forcing them to try her horrible cooking. Zoro wasn't much better, and after one long weekend of food poisoning, Mihawk had made a special trip off the island to buy them a mountain of cook books. Perona had improved by leaps and bounds, and Mihawk could admit that he was particularly fond of her baking. Zoro had ended up being banned from the kitchen, and Perona still teased him for the blushing rant he had devolved into that somehow involved perverted cooks and dartboards.

“Horohorohoro- your face! It’s priceless!” Perona laughed at him, and Mihawk sighed as he began rubbing at his temples. He paused when Perona offered him a wineglass filled almost to the brim, and he took it out of habit more than anything.

“Now why don't we all go back and deplete your wine collection thoroughly? I’m sure you and the Red Hair pirates have a lot to catch up on.” The cheers that echoed behind them had Mihawk sighing deeply, and Perona’s eyes narrowed when she noticed it, “Or, maybe you’d rather have some alone time after your long trip, hmm?” Mihawk knew that Perona was not trying to sound suggestive- she was only trying to look out for him, because she knew that sometimes he needed his space. But by the wolf whistles going off behind him, Mihawk knew that she had just fanned the flames Shanks' newest delusion.

Deciding that he could deal with _that_ particular miscommunication later, Mihawk silently prepared himself for the upcoming madness that would be his evening. Holding back a sigh, he turned to acknowledge Shanks and his crew, “You can do what you like. Leave now or in the morning, I don’t particularly care. But if you want to throw another party,” and Mihawk _knew_ that was what Shanks wanted to do, “then I wouldn't be opposed to it.”

He left the decision up to Shanks, and so it was without surprise that he found himself walking with everyone else up the stairs, and toward his soon to be barren wine cellar. Perona was walking next to him with a happy hum, and after they reached their destination, she reached over to grasp his sleeve. Eyeing her curiously, Mihawk watched her smile brilliantly and then she stepped back in order to twirl for him. The thin fabric on the lower half of her dress easily lifted and flowed around her legs like a whispered promise. Mihawk’s eyes took in the sight of her creamy legs encased in silken lace, and then trailed up to rest on the cross stitched onto the corset. His gaze lasted only seconds however, and then his eyes were on her beaming face as she tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned forward slightly.

“I bought a new dress on Sabaody, what do you think? Do you like it?” She looked so innocently happy as her hands fiddled with the gauzy fabric that Mihawk found himself struggling to answer. It felt like a trick question.

“Doesn’t it look amazing on me? I thought it suited me quite well-” A round of wolf whistles and appreciative comments from Lucky Roo, Shanks, and Rockstar had Perona flushing happily, and Mihawk shooting them a heated glare.

 _Even think about touching her, and you_ **die.**

From the way Rockstar quickly shoved himself behind Shanks, his message came across loud and clear. Shanks himself was smirking like he had just gotten all the confirmation he needed, and Mihawk silently cursed his protective instincts because they were not helping this situation at all.

“Mihawk?”

If only Zoro could see him now- he’d probably be laughing his ass off, that ungrateful apprentice of his. Shanks thought that he and Perona were in a sexual relationship, and had seemingly gotten his confirmation from what looked like possessiveness that was really only him looking out for Perona’s well-being. Fuck, this situation was so fucked up- Mihawk just wanted to get this social interaction over with so that he could go and sleep in peace. So if Mihawk’s answer came across as dismissive, well...

“You prefer black lace, so I guess it suits you.” Mihawk shrugged, and Perona fell silent even as Shanks stood up with an offended look on his face, “That's it? She looks absolutely amazing, and all you have to say is ‘I guess it suits you’?!” Shanks marched over to him, and began shaking him with his hand, his face serious and indignant, “As a man, you’ve got to do better then that when your woman asks you if she looks nice! I don't care if you have to lie through your teeth, grow a fucking pair and get with the program! Do you _want_ her to leave you?!”

Mihawk had had enough of this. Slapping away Shank’s hand, he loomed over the shorter man with slightly narrowed eyes, “Perona and I are not in a relationship. She is a guest in my home, and is staying here for her own reasons.” Walking away from the annoyed Yonko, Mihawk finished off his wine and then set the empty glass on the bar.

“I kept trying to tell you this, but you wouldn't stop your excessive ramblings.” He turned back to Shanks, and found that the man’s eyes had narrowed in disbelief, “At most we are friends, and I am sure that all of these assumptions you’ve been making have made Perona feel uncomfortable as well.”

Unseen by both swordsmen, Rockstar had begun to cower in the corner of the room. Perona’s hands were clenched into fists, and she was glaring down at her dress and refused to admit that she felt like crying.

“Baka.”

Mihawk had been about to chastise Shank’s crude behavior, but both men found their eyes turning toward the woman that they were discussing. Perona’s eyes were hidden in the shadows of her bangs, and Mihawk was quick to notice the sudden increase in Hollows in the room.

“Baka!” Perona looked up at him with fury plain on her face, and Mihawk had his knife out and ready for the first wave of Hollows before she could finish her shout, “You fucking Baka!”

With Haki infused in his knife, it was possible to cut her Hollows apart before they could touch him. As long as they didn't touch his skin, he was safe, but-

Mihawk’s eyes widened when he noticed that there were more than just Negative Hollows attacking him. Perona’s black eyes burned like a demon, and she brought her hands up.

“Ghost Snap.”

And that was when the explosions started.

 

“NOBODY MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT EXPLODING GHOSTS!” Rockstar was running around and crying from the traumatic experience that was slapping him in the face. If Yassop hadn’t been so busy running and shooting Haki infused bullets at the stray Hollows, then he might have found himself rolling on the floor laughing. Shanks and his crew made sure to avoid touching the Hollows as they followed behind Mihawk’s hasty retreat from the entertainment room- because if Mihawk’s extreme reaction was any indication, then touching them would not bode well.

Shanks himself was having the time of his life, grinning ear to ear as he watched the proud swordsman run from the demonically beautiful woman flying after him.

“You cold hearted bastard!” Another round of of snapping followed by explosions had Mihawk performing an impressive display of acrobatics, all the while slicing through the Hollows with the knife from his cross pendant, and a dagger he pulled from his boot. Shanks had never even known that the swordsman carried a dagger in his boot.

“Do you have any idea how much this hat cost?!”

Lucky Roo silently passed him a turkey leg, and Shanks nibbled on it while he watched the show unfolding in front of him with childlike wonder. The pair of fighters had found themselves in the entry hall, and Mihawk finally had enough room to execute a series of slashes that had a large gust of wind surging through the room, though Perona and her Hollows remained unaffected.

“Or how frustrating it was to get this dress custom fitted!” Perona’s teeth looked suspiciously sharp as she snarled down at the knife wielding swordsman, “I even got a detachable skirt, you unfashionable asshole!”

Yasopp’s beer bottle paused inches away from his mouth, “Did she just say detachable skirt?”

Now, Mihawk was a man of unequal focus, precision, and deadliness. It did not matter that Perona had hundreds upon hundreds of Hollows after his head, never mind that half of them exploded. It didn’t matter that all they had to do was get _one_ to attach to him. But Mihawk had learned in these past few years that Perona never played fair. She always justified herself by claiming that _someone_ had to keep the idiotically honorable swordsmen safe when they were being quote unquote ‘brainlessly noble’. She also justified it by saying that they needed to learn how to deal with dishonorable opponents.

And so, Mihawk had mentally prepared himself for her to fight dirty- had prepared himself for any number of tricks that she had pulled in the past. But Perona was a master at surprising him, and that was how Perona managed to distract Mihawk for a single second. Just _one second_ , and then a Hollow was wrapped around him like a victorious boa constrictor.

Perona definitely had a removable skirt. And underneath it was a pair of black and white ruffled bloomers, and two silver crosses painted onto her thighs with body paint. They shined quite beautifully in the light.

“Horohorohoro~!” Perona laughed down at Mihawk, whose expression had become the thing of nightmares. Shanks choked on a piece of turkey, and stared down at the foreboding expression on Mihawk’s face with disbelieving eyes. Rockstar promptly fainted in the background, unable to endure any more traumatic surprises.

Perona’s hands smugly settled on her hips, and she slowly began to descend the staircase, her face shadowed with evil intentions.

 _“I’m sorry that I’m alive,”_ Shank’s mouth literally fell open, and half chewed meat fell out of his mouth. He wasn't the only one stunned: Yasopp choked on a sip beer and was frantically coughing and hitting his chest, Lucky Roo had missed his mouth and poked himself in the eye with the bone of his turkey leg, and poor Benn had leaned too far over the railing and promptly fell over it.

Perona’s laugh was sadistically happy as she stopped in front of Mihawk, who slowly slumped down to his knees under her unforgiving gaze, and was now staring down at the floor in a depressive slump.

“And what are you Mihawk?”

It was at this point that Yasopp wisely fled the room in order to take shelter behind the bar in the entertainment room.

_“I am scum.”_

Perona reached down and patted his head as if he were an obedient dog, “Good, as long as you understand.”

_“I’m sorry for my attitude.”_

Perona hummed happily, “And what else?”

Mihawk’s head fell even lower to the floor, and the Hollow that was wrapped around him gave a happy giggle, _“I’m sorry that I made you mad. My existence is lower than an insect- I should have been born a dust mite.”_

“Horohorohoro- you’re forgiven, as long as you’ve learned your lesson.”

Hawkeye’s forehead hit the floor, and the depressive aura around him was almost _visible_ , _“I am truly sorry, I’m such horrible person- I am garbage- someone should just throw me away…”_

Shanks had somewhat recovered at this point, and was finally able to break down in peals of laughter. He too fell over the railing and though his landing left him somewhat winded, he couldn't stop. Perona turned to give him an irritated glare that he promptly ignored. Shanks rolled around the floor, tears streaming down his face, and then he stood up to point a rude finger at Mihawk's disgrace, “This is fucking _priceless!_ Oh my god, Lucky Roo, get a snail cam! I am never going to let him live this-”

A cold sensation started in his chest, and then it flowed out to the rest of his body. Shanks had not cared to mind his surroundings, and so that was how he too ended up on his hands and knees, a Hollow sticking out of his back.

 _“Totally useless. Whatever I do, I’m useless. I’ve got no confidence to live.”_   Shanks slowly slid down until his whole body was lying prone on the floor, _“I want to die...”_

Lucky Roo dropped his turkey leg, and Benn Beckmann started hyperventilating. “SHE TOOK DOWN BOTH OF THEM!”

Perona sighed, and found that she had lost her enjoyment in her game, so she allowed the Hollow attached to Mihawk to disappear. Seconds later Mihawk’s body became rigid, and he stood up with a purposefully blank expression- though his cheeks were slightly pink. Perona couldn’t help but coo quietly, because it was really _cute_.

Mihawk was refusing to look at anyone, though his eyes caught sight of the groaning Yonko on the floor. He stared for several moments at the strange sight, and while he was distracted, Perona floated into his personal space. He turned to give her a pointed look, and Perona gave him a cheeky smile as she moved to hover over his shoulder, “Can I forgiven for humiliating you in front of Red Haired Shanks?”

As if on cue, Shanks let out a particularly pathetic moan, _“When I’m reborn, I want to be a monkey...”_   For a moment, Mihawk was stoically silent as he stared down at the Yonko, who was literally crying on the floor and lamenting his existence.

And then Mihawk threw back his head, and laughed. Perona smiled at the sight of the rare smile that appeared on the swordsman’s face, “I’d say that it was a fair trade.”

“Horohorohoro~ admit it, you missed me. And I _know_ you missed having a decent opponent- I can’t even guess how many insects you crushed while you were away.”

Mihawk let out a small sigh, a smile still teasing the corners of his mouth, “Too many to count, and none worth mentioning.”

Perona hummed, and then draped herself comfortingly across Mihawk’s shoulders, though only he could feel it, “Then I’ll say it again, welcome home Mihawk.”

Mihawk glanced at her content expression, and how relaxed she was against him, and felt something uncoil in his chest.

“It’s good to be here I suppose.”

 

...

...

“Ummm, guys? Can you please fix our captain? He’s not responding to us at all!”

_“Kill me, I want to diiiiieeeee…”_

“Hang in their captain! Don’t go into the light! Shanks?! SHANKS!”

**Author's Note:**

> These two are adorably frustrating aren't they? I can't wait to build their relationship- because Mihawk has the emotion range of a teaspoon and Perona has her work cut out for her. Expect sexy times, reference images, and much more to come!
> 
> Dress Inspiration: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/499758889887029149/


End file.
